Hazel Gore is a Glasgow based artist who graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 2010. She started studying at the art school when she was just 17 years old. Hazel specialises in producing drawings and paintings to create small, intricate, dream-like images which usually illustrate her fictional characters and/or scenarios. She also directs and produces short, surreal films which have been screened in venues in cities from all over the world, including Venice, San Francisco, Sydney and London.

Since graduating Hazel has also exhibited in various different events and art galleries such as Royal Scottish Academy (New Contemporaries), Six Foot Gallery, Somewhereto:restore, DNA Hub, Virginia Gallery and Veneer Gallery. Hazel has also had her work promoted and published in many art magazines such as “Tribe”, “Pinso”, “Yuck ‘n Yum” and “Product”.

Hazel is currently working on a written/visual art collaboration with New York based writer and poet, April L. Ford.

Artist’s Statement

For the past two years I have been experimenting with drawing as a method of storytelling. Most of my drawings are very small, intricate, dream-like images that usually convey fictional characters that I have created.

My practice often begins with writing – developing characters and coming up with plot lines and narratives which are usually highly ambiguous. Each drawing can therefore be described as a tableau of a scene from one of my stories or concepts.

Characterisation is important in my practice and I have developed many of my characters by observing people and through personal experiences. I think that many people can relate to the characters and the themes in my drawings such as loss, confusion and isolation. My characters are usually metaphorical and symbolic, for example, ‘Tangerine Woman,’ ‘Negative Head,’ and ‘Poison Ivy.’ Some of the characters I have created appear several times in various drawings, manifestations and in different settings.

My drawings are inspired by the idea of a graphic novel and my strong focus on characterisation and storytelling blur the boundaries between design and fine art.